Rita has managed to get over the ignominy of being asked to secure a restaurant table with a credit card and the senior members of the cast (and Roy) assemble in the tea rooms of the Chariot Square Hotel where they bump into Claud! She's back! Oh and also Charles. No-one wanted to see him again. Audrey and Ken spy on them, Claud and Charles argue, Charles storms off and Claudia joins the oldsters' table with their prosecco and double entendres. Good to see Claudia's hair has got even more resplendent since she was last on the show. Everyone drunkenly confesses their peccadilloes and Audrey finally 'fesses up to her suicide attempt (just as her belated birthday cake is brought out). She has to make further confessions, that she hasn't told Gail et famille and that she hasn't taken any of her anti-depressants. They talk it over and Audrey says she feels a lot better and will start on the pills.
I loved this, it had comedy, it had pathos, it had bathos, it had Rula Lenska.
Oh and Suspicious Stephen has the paperwork all drawn up for the trust fund re: Audrey's money. I wonder where that's all going to go.
Talking of people no-one wanted to see, Craig is getting on Fay(e)'s wick. Craigy-boi, don't upset a menopausal woman, you will live to backtrack on it. He makes her quinoa porridge and tells her forgetfulness and anger are signs of the menopause and then approaches Carla to ask her to go easy on Faye, which immediately backfires as Carla has a word with her. Faye chews out Craig, who stomps out of the flat to go and stay with Beth and Kirk (and Peanut).
There is one way out of quinoa and cooling nighties, and that's HRT, Faye!
I accidentally read a spoiler re: Spider's dark secret when I was looking up how old he - or rather the actor - is (48) and let's just say that there might be another old cast member returning. Anyhoo, one of Spider's pals turns up in the cafe, Toyah gets on with him, and agrees to go to a Weatherfield XR protest, to Spider's (and Leanne's) chagrin. She later thanks Spider for helping her find her inner Emmeline Pankhurst, all watched over by Adam's beady stare.
And finally, D.S. Zeedan is on the case of Stu's wrongful conviction. Craig tells him that Detective Lennox was pensioned off on specious reasons after having an affair. Could Det. Lennox be the actual murderer? Or maybe it was Stu's ex-wife whodunnit? Stu has written to Alya, Zee and Yas asking them to visit, but Yasmeen throws the letters in the (recycling) bin.
Rachel Stevenson - on twitter
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5 comments:
Prosecco doesn't fit with Audrey's alcohol-free afternoon tea! Good scene though, with them hiding behind plants etc. Always more interesting when older characters get together. (Nice to hear from Spider that Emily is still around.)
Funny to watch Stephen running around trying to get Audrey to sign the papers. When will someone notice how desperate he is?
Annoying as I find Faye, I am on her side re Craig's interference. It borders on coercive control.
Craig is annoying, almost as annoying as Faye...and why does she never go see her mum? or see Gary often? What a boring couple
Stephen is annoying and boring as well....Obvious that he is up to something carrying the papers with him. Off you go, back to Milan you loser!
Spider is a huge disappointment...looks like he's still wearing the same clothes. He is almost fifty and still flitting around like he's twenty with that hope of saving the world...he's probably a terrorist by now...Off you go manchild...begone!
The elderly contingent of the street?? ACES!! Loved the easy rapport between old friends,running into Claudia and the old ripoff artist was a great touch.MORE MORE Can we have some more please??
I bet between those four geezers they left a 20p tip.
For all the praise it's been getting, I found the inclusion of Roy at Audrey's meal to be quite jarring. Audrey has never particularly liked Roy, and although he's older than the majority of the cast, he's far closer in age to Gail (who he actually used to be fairly close to) than he is to Rita for example.
The show used to have organic friendships that were built gradually, rather than just lumping characters together because they're older, or confining storylines to specific families. When was the last time Rita and Sally shared a scene together? Even the friendships that have developed in recent years have been neglected (Beth and Tracy, Abi and Sally).
Some characters don't seem to have any friends at all. Who does Nick hang out with in his free time? Or Leanne, or David for that matter? Part of the problem here is the fact that the Rovers still doesn't seem to be able to have more than a handful of people in it at any given moment (no idea why, there are no Covid restrictions in the UK anymore) which means the main place characters used to socialise isn't viable.
I agree Charles...gone are the days of the regulars holding up the bar. Used to see other cast members sitting at tables socializing, even if they had no lines. I think it was said that they'd have especially long days just to fill scenes.....
I miss the days of Auntie Rita offering Sal a tidbit, or Gail and Sal....Nick has had one friend that I recall...Mark..Mike Baldwins son.
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